Your generosity makes study abroad possible for students with financial need—giving them the opportunity to immerse themselves in new cultures, challenge their perspectives, and build skills to launch their careers. Join us in our mission to educate the next generation of global leaders by exploring the many ways to give.
IES Abroad is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. That means we rely on the generosity of donations from people like YOU to help fund scholarships that make it possible for students with financial need to study and intern abroad. Join us in educating the next generation of global leaders with your tax-deductible gift today.
Our goal is simple: to make the life-changing benefits that come from studying and interning abroad accessible to as many students as possible. With your gift today, join us in educating the next generation of global leaders. One hundred percent of every donation goes directly to scholarships for students with financial need, helping them to pay for airfare, cultural excursions, academic tuition and more.
For almost a decade, IES Abroad has collected outcomes data from 2,000+ respondents from more than 200 U.S. colleges and universities. In the two surveys we’ve conducted (in 2012 and 2016), we’ve found that IES Abroad alumni consistently have employment outcomes that exceed those of the national average—our alums report higher rates of full-time employment and lower rates of unemployment.
IES Abroad’s mission—to educate and inspire the next generation of global leaders—continues to be in motion, driven by our global team and the generosity of our alumni and friends. Here are a few stats and figures we are proud to share as we help make study abroad more accessible for students in the current 2025-26 Fiscal Year:
We are pleased to share the FY 2024-25 Philanthropic Impact Report, where we celebrate the meaningful study abroad stories shared by a few of our student scholarship beneficiaries from the past year as well as contributions, which gave flight to new student journeys of growth and promise.
There are many ways to support the next generation of students studying abroad. What will be yours? Join our growing list of donors, and change a student's life today.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Cecil C (CC) Conner attended the IES Abroad Vienna program in the Spring of 1963 and continued to stay in Vienna to work as an IES Student Assistant for the 1963-64 academic year. A native of Greensboro, NC, Mr. Conner received his BA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and his LLB from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Conner is a retired US Navy Lieutenant. Of his time in Vienna, CC remarked, “Vienna changed my view of people and the world and opened my eyes to so much culture. As IES Abroad students, we traveled all over Europe and were really exposed to history and culture and how it impacts everyday life.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
A native Austrian, Dr. Roswitha Benesch earned her Ph.D. from the University of Graz in Austria. Frau Benesch devoted over 55 years of her life teaching students in the IES Abroad Vienna program. She began working at IES Abroad Vienna as a chaperone and art history instructor as student groups arrived by boat to tour Europe before arriving in Vienna. Over the years, she has accompanied countless groups of students on their educational spring break tours to Italy, Prague, and Budapest as well as summer tours to Spain. Frau Benesch officially joined the IES Abroad faculty in 1964 as an Art History Professor and has left a profound impact on hundreds of U.S. college students and their view of classical art.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Professor Edward Mowatt joined the Institute of European Studies (now IES Abroad) in 1962 as a professor and academic counselor to students. In 1968 he became Center Director at IES Abroad Vienna in Austria. While in Vienna, Mowatt met and married Eileen C. Benko, Vienna 1965-66 and 1966-67. In the spring of 1974, Professor Mowatt founded the London program and served as a professor of Philosophy and the first Center Director until 1979.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The Hemera Foundation Summer Social Impact Internship Scholarship was initiated by Caroline Pfohl, London Fall 1978, Vienna Spring 1979 and the Hemera Foundation, whose mission is to foster basic human goodness in individuals and society. This Scholarship aims to inspire students to make a social impact through summer internships within philanthropic or direct service/social service organizations.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Dedicated the IES Abroad’s mission to develop global competency among today’s students, Dr. Kathryn M. Moore has given many years of service by serving as an IES Abroad Board Member. Most recently, she served as Chair of the Board for two terms. The Dan and Kathryn M. Moore Endowed Scholarship is a further show of commitment to provide financial assistance to student(s) participating in one (or more) of IES Abroad’s study abroad programs and who currently is a student in good standing at a U.S. land grant institution.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The Marion and Luis de Hoyos Endowed Scholarship was established by IES Board member Debora de Hoyos and her spouse, Walter Carlson, in honor of Debora’s parents. Marion and Luis de Hoyos traveled extensively for both business and pleasure, appreciating the people and their cultures with whom they interacted. Their daughter, Debora, learned from her parents' firsthand accounts of their travels and accompanied them on some of these excursions. She credits this early exposure as "opening (her) eyes to the world".
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Debbie Schuler was a member of the IES Abroad Durham Class of 1973-74. She graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia and later earned an MBA in Finance and Multinational Enterprise at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Debbie says, “The experience in Durham was even more than I dreamed. I grew up, grew confident, grew more open-minded, and became a better US and global citizen.”
Debbie had the opportunity to live and work in many of the world’s major financial centers managing teams around the world. She found working in emerging markets both exotic and the most rewarding because even a small loan or a single credit rating could have a surprisingly large impact on people’s lives. In 2022 Debbie joined the IES Abroad Board of Directors where she employed her international business expertise toward strengthening the future of IES Abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Steve Hultgren and Holly (Moremen) Hultgren met on their IES Junior Year Abroad in Vienna in 1970. They found they were ready for travel adventures in addition to the challenges of attending classes and navigating a foreign living environment totally new to them. As with many who choose to study abroad, they were seeking not only adventure but insight into their direction in life. For Steve, it was a decision to study architecture and for Holly it reinforced psychology and future educational research. Not only that but they found themselves falling in love.
Steve and Holly have two children, both of whom attended IES Abroad Programs when they were in college. Because of the importance of IES Abroad in bringing them together and helping set the path for their life as well as the role it has played in the lives of their children and grandchildren, Holly and Steve were inspired to found an endowed scholarship at IES Abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Kathleen (Kate) Crane (72-33 and 75-76) and Nicholas (Nick) Crane (77-78), studied for an academic year with IES Abroad Vienna, as did their brother, Christopher (Chris) Crane (71-73). Their father, a successful Wall Street investment manager, and their mother, who worked in post-World War II Germany for the Army Air Force, encouraged them all to study abroad. Their time in Vienna gave them a common international experience and broadened their worldview. It bound them together with classmates and Austrians, with whom they formed close friendships, corresponded, and shared many adventures around the world.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The Vera Isaacs Schwartz Endowed Stipend has been established by Alan and Ronnie Schwartz in loving tribute to Alan’s mother. Vera valued learning in the classroom but also recognized that there is an education to be had in museums, cafés and pastry shops around the world. Alan was a longtime member of the IES Abroad Board of Directors, and a recognized business leader in Chicago. He established this stipend to honor his mother Vera’s commitment to providing her grandchildren funds to expand their college education outside of the classroom.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This scholarship was established by the IES Abroad Board of Directors to honor the memory of William E. Dwyer, Jr., the father of the former IES Abroad president, Dr. Mary Dwyer. Trained in transportation law, Mr. Dwyer was a senior corporate executive overseeing transportation functions world-wide for a multi-national steel manufacturing company. He was an innovator in the transportation field and a pioneer in support of the equal employment of African Americans and women in the management ranks of the steel industry. His greatest priority, however, was the welfare of his family. He put family first.
Likewise, Mrs. Mary M. Dwyer put family first while at the same time being deeply involved as a volunteer in her community and church. She attended the University of Missouri and was a staunch advocate of the importance of higher education in furthering individuals’ development and success.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Many lifelong friendships were formed during the 1971-72 academic year among members of the IES Vienna class. In honor of their class, class members founded the 71-72 Scholarship to pass forward the gift of study abroad to future generations.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Like so many IES Abroad alumni, study abroad was a life changing experience for Jean Shanks, Vienna 70-71. Jean graduated from Simmons University in Boston where she majored in English. A Vienna classmate introduced her to her future husband and they raised their family in Birmingham, Alabama, where Jean worked at the Birmingham Public Library.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Thomas McDonald is a longtime friend and former board member of IES Abroad. He and his siblings studied abroad during their college years. These experiences provided an enhanced cultural, social and professional world view.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Bill Pendergast and Carol Stamatis studied together with IES Abroad in Paris 1964-65. It gave them a common international experience and broadened their world view. This led to their marriage in 1968 and to PhD degrees at Columbia and Yale that were rooted in their international experience. Carol says, “We are grateful to IES Abroad for the experience of a lifetime, and we want to enable other students to access similar opportunities. The more that do, the better the world will be.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Barbara Barker is an alumna of the University of South Carolina, and a member of the IES Abroad Vienna Class of 1968-69. Her year in Vienna, in which she discovered a passion for European art, music, culture, and travel with classmates, was life changing. Barbara passed away from a medical condition in Vienna in 1970, cutting short her new-found direction and purpose. Her father, George A. Barker, Jr., recognized the value of a global, cross-cultural experience both through Barbara’s experience, as well as through his work as the European Import/Export Representative for the Bethlehem Steel Company. He, along with David H. Hartz, Barbara’s stepbrother, have established this Scholarship to honor the valuable impact of study abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
In September 1950, 23 American students boarded the SS Volendam to begin their journey to Vienna where they would spend the next year living and studying in the Austrian capital. Paul Koutny, an idealistic Austrian student who envisioned the project together with Clarence and Alberta Giese, who were two of the original 23 students, launched the Institute for European Studies -- now IES Abroad -- from these humble beginnings. “The Clarence and Alberta Giese Endowed Scholarship” honors the Gieses and was established in recognition of the 60th anniversary of IES Abroad in 2010. The endowed scholarship fund provides financial aid for need-based scholarships to students attending IES Abroad - Vienna.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Dr. Mary M. Dwyer served as the President and CEO of IES Abroad for nearly 25 years. During her tenure, more than 121,000 students enrolled in IES Abroad programming around the world. Dr. Dwyer’s student-focused strategies set new standards for study abroad in academic rigor, program evaluation and health and safety. Throughout her tenure, Dr. Dwyer held a firm commitment to growing the accessibility of study abroad
The Dr. Mary M. Dwyer and Jim Ahr Endowed Scholarship Fund was established through the personal contributions of the IES Abroad Board of Directors, IES Abroad Alumni, and Dwyer Family and friends to honor Dr. Dwyer’s extraordinary successes. It honors the commitment shown by Dr. Dwyer and her husband, Mr. James Ahr, throughout Dr. Dwyer’s memorable tenure.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This scholarship is named in honor of Dr. William Louis Gaines, President of IES Abroad from 1974-1992. Dr. Gaines was dedicated to strengthening IES Abroad's academic framework, broadening the scope of IES Abroad locations, and securing the financial foundation of the organization.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Ezio Vergani lives in Milan, Italy. Ezio is the former Chair of the IES Abroad Board of Directors and has served as member of the Board since 1994. When he was a high school student in Italy, Ezio was awarded a scholarship by AFS International (American Field Service) to study his senior year at Schozing High School in Florida. In response to his own life-changing experience, he created the Vergani Scholarship at IES Abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Many lifelong friendships were formed during the 1968-69 academic year among members of the IES Vienna class. Following their 50th anniversary class reunion in Vienna, class member Charles Taylor, created and endowed scholarship fund recognizing these friendships and the many accomplishments of the class of 1968-69. Since its founding many class members joined in contributing to this scholarship which is open to all students who have financial need, with a preference for students choosing to study abroad with IES Vienna.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Kathleen Diamond is a consultant, entrepreneur, and business leader in the language services industry. Ms. Diamond created the Kathleen Kervin Diamond Endowed Scholarship because she felt privileged to have had a year abroad, studying and learning language and culture. She would not have had such a fulfilling career as a founder, and owner, of a language services company without the impetus of that single year in Nantes. She learned French but also learned how to think critically and be self-reliant. She learned that she was capable of doing much more than she had imagined. Ms. Diamond credits her year abroad with the fundamentals of learning alternative ways of thinking and says, “Through language we express ourselves. We become more fluent in our expression as we master a second and third language.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The late Paul Koutny, along with Clarence and Alberta Giese, founded IES Abroad in 1950 and enrolled 23 American students. Held as a political prisoner by the Nazis at the age of 17 for his activity in the anti-Nazi underground, Paul dedicated himself to rebuilding Austria after World War II. It was his year abroad at St. Thomas University, sponsored by the Fulbright Commission in 1949, that inspired his ambitious dream: the founding of an organization that would create life-changing experiences for young Americans and help bridge the cultural divide between two continents.
In the early years, Brita assisted Paul in coordinating activities in Vienna and ran the kitchen at NeuerMarkt 1 “The main idea of the Institute [IES Abroad] is to create a better understanding between the two continents and to exchange cultural advantages with each other.” This scholarship honors the legacy of the Koutnys and is funded by the generous donations of IES Abroad Vienna alumni.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The history between Charles E. Merrill, Jr. and IES Abroad dates back to the late 1950s when he served on the board of Morehouse College and established the Merrill Scholarship through his personal philanthropy. Mr. Merrill originally provided all-expenses-paid scholarships for students at Morehouse and Spelman to study for a full academic year on IES Abroad programs. Students were specially selected for their exceptional academic achievements, studied on IES Abroad programs, and then went on to earn graduate and, in many instances, postgraduate degrees. Individually and collectively, they have made enormous contributions to our world during their lifetimes.
In 2011, IES Abroad began working to create its own Charles E. Merrill, Jr. Scholarship Fund. While strides were made, it was alumnus, Dr. John Hodges, Nantes 66-67, who after attending a class reunion in Nantes in 2015, was inspired to champion this Fund. He first made a significant gift to the Fund and followed with personal outreach to dozens of Morehouse and Spelman friends and others. He explained the inspiration for his effort as “I want students to have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with individuals who may appear to be very different than they are. As a student who lacked the financial resources to study abroad, I want to make sure that this potentially life-altering experience was not limited only to the well-resourced.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Michael P. Friezo (IES Abroad London, Fall 1982), and David C. Friezo, London spring '85, both studied on IES Abroad London programs while attending college, and together have created an endowed fund for IES Abroad students studying on any IES Abroad program in London. Mike majored in Economics at Texas Christian University. He remembers well and highly values his opportunity to study with IES Abroad London at the London School of Economics, and the impact it has had on his career in investment banking and capital markets. Dave attended Tulane University and recalls learning firsthand about foreign currency trading with IES Abroad classmates as they traveled to various other European countries during their semester abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
John and Ann Gearen successfully encouraged all three of their children to study internationally. John served on the Board of Directors of IES Abroad from 1981-2016, as Chair of the Board from 1999-2004, and has served on the Emeritus Board since 2017. John had been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1965 and in response to his own life-changing experience at Oxford in the years 1965-1967, and his years of serving on the Board of IES Abroad as it flourished over the years, he and Ann established this Scholarship.
John and Ann believe that a study abroad experience is a transformational experience, and are delighted to provide this Scholarship to provide that opportunity for college students.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Established by Sam W. McQuade, Nantes 1967-68 in honor of Mme. Suzanne Hugues, who Mr. McQuade remembers fondly as “La Directrice” of the Nantes Center, who greeted him when he first arrived in Nantes and was his advisor during his academic year abroad. She passed away in December 1969.
He created this scholarship because he felt privileged to have studied abroad in Nantes, studying and learning the French language and culture.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The William and Fannie Steinberg Endowed Scholarship was generously funded by Dr. Michael S. Steinberg, a former Executive Vice President for Academic Programs for IES Abroad, and his wife, Dr. Salme Harju Steinberg, President Emerita of Northeastern Illinois University, to honor Michael’s parents, William and Fannie Steinberg.
William Steinberg worked in charitable organizations through most of his career as a manager and fundraiser. Fannie Steinberg was a social worker, working for private agencies and then as Director of the Social Work Department for the New York Housing Authority. Both William and Fannie Steinberg were committed and vocal supporters of the peace movement, civil rights, and civil liberties throughout their lives. They also both had a strong interest in international issues and traveled abroad extensively in their youth.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This scholarship was founded in memory of Florinda Ruiz Rush. Florinda was a native of Madrid, Spain. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Classics from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and a Ph.D in Classics from Johns Hopkins University where she met her husband of 36 years, Mark Rush. Florinda taught Classics and Spanish at Roanoke College and Washington and Lee University, where she also directed the Writing Program. She was an avid artist, photographer, jeweler, and loving mother. She had a keen appreciation for the beauty of language and passionately instilled that appreciation in her students.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Many lifelong friendships were formed during the 1972-73 academic year among members of the IES Vienna class. In honor of their class, class members founded the 72-73 Scholarship to pass forward the gift of study abroad to future generations.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This Scholarship, was founded in honor of Maria Lee, a beloved IES Abroad colleague. As a student of the world herself, Maria consistently traveled across the globe to experience life in ways it should be enjoyed. Maria’s scholarship manifests all the love and joy Maria had for her community, and rests in the power of finding one’s self through travel and exploration. She helped send thousands of students across the world, where they each defined themselves in new ways, thanks to Maria’s guidance.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This named endowment was established by Richard 0. Ryan, a spring 1963, alumnus of the IES Abroad Vienna program. Richard reconnected with IES Abroad in 2010. Since that time, he has organized and hosted several reunions for his class at his home in Chicago, and once in Vienna, playing a key role in reengaging his class members with IES Abroad. Rich has returned to Vienna numerous times and often visits the IES Abroad Vienna Center. In an article for the Northern Illinois University magazine in 2005, Richard was quoted as saying: "My junior year at the University of Vienna in Austria (with IES Abroad) probably provided the most eye-opening experience of my life, recognizing that I could compete in the big leagues. It elevated my expectations about myself and my goals."
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Barbara Barker is an alumna of the University of South Carolina, and a member of the IES Abroad Vienna Class of 1968-69. Her year in Vienna, in which she discovered a passion for European art, music, culture, and travel with classmates, was life changing. Barbara passed away from a medical condition in Vienna in 1970, cutting short her new-found direction and purpose. Her father, George A. Barker, Jr., recognized the value of a global, cross-cultural experience both through Barbara’s experience, as well as through his work as the European Import/Export Representative for the Bethlehem Steel Company. He, along with David H. Hartz, Barbara’s stepbrother, have established this Scholarship to honor the valuable impact of study abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Cecil C (CC) Conner attended the IES Abroad Vienna program in the Spring of 1963 and continued to stay in Vienna to work as an IES Student Assistant for the 1963-64 academic year. A native of Greensboro, NC, Mr. Conner received his BA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and his LLB from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Conner is a retired US Navy Lieutenant. Of his time in Vienna, CC remarked, “Vienna changed my view of people and the world and opened my eyes to so much culture. As IES Abroad students, we traveled all over Europe and were really exposed to history and culture and how it impacts everyday life.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
In September 1950, 23 American students boarded the SS Volendam to begin their journey to Vienna where they would spend the next year living and studying in the Austrian capital. Paul Koutny, an idealistic Austrian student who envisioned the project together with Clarence and Alberta Giese, who were two of the original 23 students, launched the Institute for European Studies -- now IES Abroad -- from these humble beginnings. “The Clarence and Alberta Giese Endowed Scholarship” honors the Gieses and was established in recognition of the 60th anniversary of IES Abroad in 2010. The endowed scholarship fund provides financial aid for need-based scholarships to students attending IES Abroad - Vienna.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Dr. Mary M. Dwyer served as the President and CEO of IES Abroad for nearly 25 years. During her tenure, more than 121,000 students enrolled in IES Abroad programming around the world. Dr. Dwyer’s student-focused strategies set new standards for study abroad in academic rigor, program evaluation and health and safety. Throughout her tenure, Dr. Dwyer held a firm commitment to growing the accessibility of study abroad
The Dr. Mary M. Dwyer and Jim Ahr Endowed Scholarship Fund was established through the personal contributions of the IES Abroad Board of Directors, IES Abroad Alumni, and Dwyer Family and friends to honor Dr. Dwyer’s extraordinary successes. It honors the commitment shown by Dr. Dwyer and her husband, Mr. James Ahr, throughout Dr. Dwyer’s memorable tenure.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
A native Austrian, Dr. Roswitha Benesch earned her Ph.D. from the University of Graz in Austria. Frau Benesch devoted over 55 years of her life teaching students in the IES Abroad Vienna program. She began working at IES Abroad Vienna as a chaperone and art history instructor as student groups arrived by boat to tour Europe before arriving in Vienna. Over the years, she has accompanied countless groups of students on their educational spring break tours to Italy, Prague, and Budapest as well as summer tours to Spain. Frau Benesch officially joined the IES Abroad faculty in 1964 as an Art History Professor and has left a profound impact on hundreds of U.S. college students and their view of classical art.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This scholarship is named in honor of Dr. William Louis Gaines, President of IES Abroad from 1974-1992. Dr. Gaines was dedicated to strengthening IES Abroad's academic framework, broadening the scope of IES Abroad locations, and securing the financial foundation of the organization.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Professor Edward Mowatt joined the Institute of European Studies (now IES Abroad) in 1962 as a professor and academic counselor to students. In 1968 he became Center Director at IES Abroad Vienna in Austria. While in Vienna, Mowatt met and married Eileen C. Benko, Vienna 1965-66 and 1966-67. In the spring of 1974, Professor Mowatt founded the London program and served as a professor of Philosophy and the first Center Director until 1979.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Ezio Vergani lives in Milan, Italy. Ezio is the former Chair of the IES Abroad Board of Directors and has served as member of the Board since 1994. When he was a high school student in Italy, Ezio was awarded a scholarship by AFS International (American Field Service) to study his senior year at Schozing High School in Florida. In response to his own life-changing experience, he created the Vergani Scholarship at IES Abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The Hemera Foundation Summer Social Impact Internship Scholarship was initiated by Caroline Pfohl, London Fall 1978, Vienna Spring 1979 and the Hemera Foundation, whose mission is to foster basic human goodness in individuals and society. This Scholarship aims to inspire students to make a social impact through summer internships within philanthropic or direct service/social service organizations.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Many lifelong friendships were formed during the 1968-69 academic year among members of the IES Vienna class. Following their 50th anniversary class reunion in Vienna, class member Charles Taylor, created and endowed scholarship fund recognizing these friendships and the many accomplishments of the class of 1968-69. Since its founding many class members joined in contributing to this scholarship which is open to all students who have financial need, with a preference for students choosing to study abroad with IES Vienna.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Kathleen Diamond is a consultant, entrepreneur, and business leader in the language services industry. Ms. Diamond created the Kathleen Kervin Diamond Endowed Scholarship because she felt privileged to have had a year abroad, studying and learning language and culture. She would not have had such a fulfilling career as a founder, and owner, of a language services company without the impetus of that single year in Nantes. She learned French but also learned how to think critically and be self-reliant. She learned that she was capable of doing much more than she had imagined. Ms. Diamond credits her year abroad with the fundamentals of learning alternative ways of thinking and says, “Through language we express ourselves. We become more fluent in our expression as we master a second and third language.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Dedicated the IES Abroad’s mission to develop global competency among today’s students, Dr. Kathryn M. Moore has given many years of service by serving as an IES Abroad Board Member. Most recently, she served as Chair of the Board for two terms. The Dan and Kathryn M. Moore Endowed Scholarship is a further show of commitment to provide financial assistance to student(s) participating in one (or more) of IES Abroad’s study abroad programs and who currently is a student in good standing at a U.S. land grant institution.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The Marion and Luis de Hoyos Endowed Scholarship was established by IES Board member Debora de Hoyos and her spouse, Walter Carlson, in honor of Debora’s parents. Marion and Luis de Hoyos traveled extensively for both business and pleasure, appreciating the people and their cultures with whom they interacted. Their daughter, Debora, learned from her parents' firsthand accounts of their travels and accompanied them on some of these excursions. She credits this early exposure as "opening (her) eyes to the world".
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The late Paul Koutny, along with Clarence and Alberta Giese, founded IES Abroad in 1950 and enrolled 23 American students. Held as a political prisoner by the Nazis at the age of 17 for his activity in the anti-Nazi underground, Paul dedicated himself to rebuilding Austria after World War II. It was his year abroad at St. Thomas University, sponsored by the Fulbright Commission in 1949, that inspired his ambitious dream: the founding of an organization that would create life-changing experiences for young Americans and help bridge the cultural divide between two continents.
In the early years, Brita assisted Paul in coordinating activities in Vienna and ran the kitchen at NeuerMarkt 1 “The main idea of the Institute [IES Abroad] is to create a better understanding between the two continents and to exchange cultural advantages with each other.” This scholarship honors the legacy of the Koutnys and is funded by the generous donations of IES Abroad Vienna alumni.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The history between Charles E. Merrill, Jr. and IES Abroad dates back to the late 1950s when he served on the board of Morehouse College and established the Merrill Scholarship through his personal philanthropy. Mr. Merrill originally provided all-expenses-paid scholarships for students at Morehouse and Spelman to study for a full academic year on IES Abroad programs. Students were specially selected for their exceptional academic achievements, studied on IES Abroad programs, and then went on to earn graduate and, in many instances, postgraduate degrees. Individually and collectively, they have made enormous contributions to our world during their lifetimes.
In 2011, IES Abroad began working to create its own Charles E. Merrill, Jr. Scholarship Fund. While strides were made, it was alumnus, Dr. John Hodges, Nantes 66-67, who after attending a class reunion in Nantes in 2015, was inspired to champion this Fund. He first made a significant gift to the Fund and followed with personal outreach to dozens of Morehouse and Spelman friends and others. He explained the inspiration for his effort as “I want students to have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with individuals who may appear to be very different than they are. As a student who lacked the financial resources to study abroad, I want to make sure that this potentially life-altering experience was not limited only to the well-resourced.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Debbie Schuler was a member of the IES Abroad Durham Class of 1973-74. She graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia and later earned an MBA in Finance and Multinational Enterprise at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Debbie says, “The experience in Durham was even more than I dreamed. I grew up, grew confident, grew more open-minded, and became a better US and global citizen.”
Debbie had the opportunity to live and work in many of the world’s major financial centers managing teams around the world. She found working in emerging markets both exotic and the most rewarding because even a small loan or a single credit rating could have a surprisingly large impact on people’s lives. In 2022 Debbie joined the IES Abroad Board of Directors where she employed her international business expertise toward strengthening the future of IES Abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Michael P. Friezo (IES Abroad London, Fall 1982), and David C. Friezo, London spring '85, both studied on IES Abroad London programs while attending college, and together have created an endowed fund for IES Abroad students studying on any IES Abroad program in London. Mike majored in Economics at Texas Christian University. He remembers well and highly values his opportunity to study with IES Abroad London at the London School of Economics, and the impact it has had on his career in investment banking and capital markets. Dave attended Tulane University and recalls learning firsthand about foreign currency trading with IES Abroad classmates as they traveled to various other European countries during their semester abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Steve Hultgren and Holly (Moremen) Hultgren met on their IES Junior Year Abroad in Vienna in 1970. They found they were ready for travel adventures in addition to the challenges of attending classes and navigating a foreign living environment totally new to them. As with many who choose to study abroad, they were seeking not only adventure but insight into their direction in life. For Steve, it was a decision to study architecture and for Holly it reinforced psychology and future educational research. Not only that but they found themselves falling in love.
Steve and Holly have two children, both of whom attended IES Abroad Programs when they were in college. Because of the importance of IES Abroad in bringing them together and helping set the path for their life as well as the role it has played in the lives of their children and grandchildren, Holly and Steve were inspired to found an endowed scholarship at IES Abroad.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
John and Ann Gearen successfully encouraged all three of their children to study internationally. John served on the Board of Directors of IES Abroad from 1981-2016, as Chair of the Board from 1999-2004, and has served on the Emeritus Board since 2017. John had been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1965 and in response to his own life-changing experience at Oxford in the years 1965-1967, and his years of serving on the Board of IES Abroad as it flourished over the years, he and Ann established this Scholarship.
John and Ann believe that a study abroad experience is a transformational experience, and are delighted to provide this Scholarship to provide that opportunity for college students.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Kathleen (Kate) Crane (72-33 and 75-76) and Nicholas (Nick) Crane (77-78), studied for an academic year with IES Abroad Vienna, as did their brother, Christopher (Chris) Crane (71-73). Their father, a successful Wall Street investment manager, and their mother, who worked in post-World War II Germany for the Army Air Force, encouraged them all to study abroad. Their time in Vienna gave them a common international experience and broadened their worldview. It bound them together with classmates and Austrians, with whom they formed close friendships, corresponded, and shared many adventures around the world.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Established by Sam W. McQuade, Nantes 1967-68 in honor of Mme. Suzanne Hugues, who Mr. McQuade remembers fondly as “La Directrice” of the Nantes Center, who greeted him when he first arrived in Nantes and was his advisor during his academic year abroad. She passed away in December 1969.
He created this scholarship because he felt privileged to have studied abroad in Nantes, studying and learning the French language and culture.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The Vera Isaacs Schwartz Endowed Stipend has been established by Alan and Ronnie Schwartz in loving tribute to Alan’s mother. Vera valued learning in the classroom but also recognized that there is an education to be had in museums, cafés and pastry shops around the world. Alan was a longtime member of the IES Abroad Board of Directors, and a recognized business leader in Chicago. He established this stipend to honor his mother Vera’s commitment to providing her grandchildren funds to expand their college education outside of the classroom.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
The William and Fannie Steinberg Endowed Scholarship was generously funded by Dr. Michael S. Steinberg, a former Executive Vice President for Academic Programs for IES Abroad, and his wife, Dr. Salme Harju Steinberg, President Emerita of Northeastern Illinois University, to honor Michael’s parents, William and Fannie Steinberg.
William Steinberg worked in charitable organizations through most of his career as a manager and fundraiser. Fannie Steinberg was a social worker, working for private agencies and then as Director of the Social Work Department for the New York Housing Authority. Both William and Fannie Steinberg were committed and vocal supporters of the peace movement, civil rights, and civil liberties throughout their lives. They also both had a strong interest in international issues and traveled abroad extensively in their youth.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This scholarship was established by the IES Abroad Board of Directors to honor the memory of William E. Dwyer, Jr., the father of the former IES Abroad president, Dr. Mary Dwyer. Trained in transportation law, Mr. Dwyer was a senior corporate executive overseeing transportation functions world-wide for a multi-national steel manufacturing company. He was an innovator in the transportation field and a pioneer in support of the equal employment of African Americans and women in the management ranks of the steel industry. His greatest priority, however, was the welfare of his family. He put family first.
Likewise, Mrs. Mary M. Dwyer put family first while at the same time being deeply involved as a volunteer in her community and church. She attended the University of Missouri and was a staunch advocate of the importance of higher education in furthering individuals’ development and success.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This scholarship was founded in memory of Florinda Ruiz Rush. Florinda was a native of Madrid, Spain. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Classics from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and a Ph.D in Classics from Johns Hopkins University where she met her husband of 36 years, Mark Rush. Florinda taught Classics and Spanish at Roanoke College and Washington and Lee University, where she also directed the Writing Program. She was an avid artist, photographer, jeweler, and loving mother. She had a keen appreciation for the beauty of language and passionately instilled that appreciation in her students.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Many lifelong friendships were formed during the 1971-72 academic year among members of the IES Vienna class. In honor of their class, class members founded the 71-72 Scholarship to pass forward the gift of study abroad to future generations.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Many lifelong friendships were formed during the 1972-73 academic year among members of the IES Vienna class. In honor of their class, class members founded the 72-73 Scholarship to pass forward the gift of study abroad to future generations.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Like so many IES Abroad alumni, study abroad was a life changing experience for Jean Shanks, Vienna 70-71. Jean graduated from Simmons University in Boston where she majored in English. A Vienna classmate introduced her to her future husband and they raised their family in Birmingham, Alabama, where Jean worked at the Birmingham Public Library.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This Scholarship, was founded in honor of Maria Lee, a beloved IES Abroad colleague. As a student of the world herself, Maria consistently traveled across the globe to experience life in ways it should be enjoyed. Maria’s scholarship manifests all the love and joy Maria had for her community, and rests in the power of finding one’s self through travel and exploration. She helped send thousands of students across the world, where they each defined themselves in new ways, thanks to Maria’s guidance.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Thomas McDonald is a longtime friend and former board member of IES Abroad. He and his siblings studied abroad during their college years. These experiences provided an enhanced cultural, social and professional world view.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
This named endowment was established by Richard 0. Ryan, a spring 1963, alumnus of the IES Abroad Vienna program. Richard reconnected with IES Abroad in 2010. Since that time, he has organized and hosted several reunions for his class at his home in Chicago, and once in Vienna, playing a key role in reengaging his class members with IES Abroad. Rich has returned to Vienna numerous times and often visits the IES Abroad Vienna Center. In an article for the Northern Illinois University magazine in 2005, Richard was quoted as saying: "My junior year at the University of Vienna in Austria (with IES Abroad) probably provided the most eye-opening experience of my life, recognizing that I could compete in the big leagues. It elevated my expectations about myself and my goals."
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
Bill Pendergast and Carol Stamatis studied together with IES Abroad in Paris 1964-65. It gave them a common international experience and broadened their world view. This led to their marriage in 1968 and to PhD degrees at Columbia and Yale that were rooted in their international experience. Carol says, “We are grateful to IES Abroad for the experience of a lifetime, and we want to enable other students to access similar opportunities. The more that do, the better the world will be.”
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
“I am reinvigorated in my determination to aim high and persevere. Life thus far has taught me that you are never alone, and it is sometimes the kindness of strangers that can impact you the most, and change you. So, thank you for changing my life.”Gaea M. • Occidental College • Rome
Read from our students as they discover what it means to study abroad.